An Elven Story
by Androme
Summary: When he returns from the sailing trip, Legolas chanced upon a wounded young lady. Slowly, Legolas found himself caring for the beautiful stranger... Why? Why is his heart feeling pained? Is this... love? (L&OC) Pls R&R!
1. Returning to Mirkwood

Returning to Mirkwood

The Elf gently pulled on the reins of the white stallion and looked around the familiar trees and greeneries. A light smile touched the handsome features on his face as he took in all that was in front of him.   
  


It's been a long time since he had smelled the sweet aroma of the rich soils and flowers of the forest. His smile widened as he leapt off the horse deftly and led it into the forest. The beast whinnied and took a step back, his clear ebony eyes showing a great distrust of the unknown path in front of it. For all of its years as a foal or a stallion living on the merchant ship, not once had it ever see such a great stretch of forest and trees and darkness. 

The Elf stroked its mane gently and whispered to it in his mother tongue. _"It's alright… Don't worry."_

The horse blinked at its master, and reluctantly took a step into the forest. 

_"Good boy,"_ its master said. The stallion neighed softly and nuzzled its large nostril into its master's hands. Then it felt his master turn around and speak in the same language he used on it. 

_"I'm home…"_

*            *            *

Legolas Greenleaf knew that all plants on Middle-Earth have a life of their own. He knew they could hear, they could speak and they have feelings like any other beings. Being an elf who had spent centuries in a woodland, he knew the mysterious properties of plants that other beings never knew existed. 

_"Hey there…I'm Legolas and I live here," _Legolas stopped again and fondled the large trunk of an oak tree. _"I hope you like this place." _

After such a long time at sea, he noticed many new trees and flowers that he had not seen. Whenever he comes across such new flora, he would stop and talk to them in Sindarin. He had stopped so many times that the stallion behind him had lost all sense of fear, only to have that emotion taken over by an exploding force of impatience, and hunger. 

_"Patience, Eryn…"_ Legolas said while back facing the beast.  _"I know you're hungry and eager for a rest. Just a few more moments. I'll have some rich fare for you at the palace. You can stop eyeing the grass around here."_

The stallion neighed softly in reply. One thing its horse brain could never figure out was how its master could sense what it was thinking, when it had not even whinnied or neighed. Perhaps it was a quality of an Elf. Or perhaps it was something between Legolas and him. 

But… standing among such rich grass was making its mouth twitch and his teeth itch. It… is a tad too much to ask a horse to not eat grass when it sees them, isn't it? 

Legolas seemed to feel his stallion's thoughts, as usual, and stood up. He smiled at the beast and leapt onto its back with a neat somersault. 

 _"Straight ahead,"_ Legolas directed. Eryn neighed loudly and galloped in the directions Legolas said. He had never needed to use a whip on Eryn. The stallion will always understand his instructions and knew how fast or slow he should be maintaining. 

At Eryn's swift galloping, Legolas caught sight of the light green palace only moments later. He smiled widely at the sight of his home. 

_"Home sweet home…"_

*            *            *

_"Le…!"_ The guards at the palace gates were shocked and stunned to see Legolas smiling right in front of them. _"Le…Le…"_

Legolas raised an eyebrow. _"Is my name that hard to pronounce?"_

The guards dropped the bows they were holding and jumped onto Legolas. _"Legolas! You're back!"_

Legolas laughed as he hugged his friends tightly. _"Haha… for a moment there I thought you couldn't recognize me!"_

Eryn, seeing that the attention was away from it, and that his mouth was really itching for something to eat, neighed loudly to get Legolas' attention. Seeing that he still would not let go of his Elvish friends, Eryn opened its mouth and bit Legolas' cloak.

_"Can we get some hay and water for my friend here?" _Legolas requested with a laugh while pulling his cloak out of the stallion's mouth before Eryn starts chewing other parts of his garbs. _"I'll go and meet my father."_

After the guards led Eryn to the stable, Legolas did not enter the palace immediately. He hung around and talked to the flowers planted at the edges of the gate. It had been so long since he could truly sit down beside the plants he grew up with and talk to them. Far too long. Legolas smiled thoughtfully as his fingers touched the sweet pink flowers shaped like stars lightly. 

A short while later, Legolas stood up and stretched. As he turned towards the gate, he heard a slight crack from the dark ends of the forest. He stopped and listened closely, wondering if the faint sound was just a fragment of his imagination. However, he knew what he heard and neither twigs nor branches just break and snap for no apparent reason. Quietly, deftly, Legolas walked into the forest towards the direction of the sound. 

Being well trained in walking on forest grounds, Legolas covered a half mile shortly after. He knew something was wrong. It wasn't common for a forest to have the stench of blood. And this particular part of the forest air seemed to be drenched with a metallic tang. His steps slowed considerably, and Legolas half-regretted not bringing along his weapons. Then, he felt his boots step into a muddy patch of soil. Legolas was about to step away from the mud when he saw that the mud was a dark red in colour. He knelt down and touched the wet soil. When he lifted his fingers, it was red in colour. 

_'Something is very wrong…'_ Legolas thought. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to calm down, and also to allow his Elvish instinct to take over. Then, he started running. 

*            *            *

Legolas knelt down beside the fallen warrior. His dark hair was strewn messily over his face, covering his features. However, the gaping sword wound on his abdomen was glaring fiercely at Legolas. Blood was oozing out in an endless stream from the wound and had already stained a large part of the beaten armoury a shining metallic red. 

"Sir? Sir?" Legolas called out gently and pulled back the hair. He was stunned. 

The warrior's face, which Legolas had expected to be a man, was that of a woman's. He cast his eyes along the flawless features and for some reason, bit down the urge to caress her face. If not for the wetness on his hands from checking the wound, Legolas would have knelt there and stared at the face before him. 

_'By Valor, Legolas! What are you doing? You should be getting her to the palace for treatment!'_ Legolas chided himself. He unbuttoned his cloak and blanketed over the lady before carrying her up. With the new weight resting on his arms and chest, Legolas was glad he did not bring along his weapons. For one, he would have to choose between carrying his prized bow or the injured lady. 

With the fastest running speed and strength Legolas could muster, he headed towards the palace. Only this time, his exit from the forest was not as quiet and deft as his entrance. The incessant cracking of fallen twigs and dried leaves alerted another stranger from deeper into the forest, near the site where the lady was found. Only that Legolas was too concerned with the lady to notice that a pair of deep red eyes was watching his every, single movement with a satisfied glint.

*            *            *

Hi everyone! If you had read this extremely short beginning, **A BIG THANKYOU to all!!!**. As you have guessed, this story starts when Legolas went back to the Woodland Realm after his sailing trip. ^_^ First of all, I would like to thank **_Elven_Princess_2005_**. Why? Because after reading your fanfiction _A Silver Lining_, I finally found the urge to write/continue/rewrite this _An Elven Story_. (The history of the original draft was pretty dreary, so I'll spare you guys the details, ya? ^^) Anyway, after reading this, please give your comments/praises/flamers/curses (in short: reviews) about this! I welcome criticisms!!! Just another thing: please don't come after me if my information about Middle-Earth is wrong or that I did not use Sindarin/Quenya for the Elvish speech. (which are the ones in italics. English would be in non-italics) I'll try my best to research while I write, but (=P) my apologies if my research was not detailed. ^o^ Also, my story or plot would be based on the movie version of LOTR (because I'm more familiar with it… =P). To end this very long Author's note, thank you for reading & reviewing!!! 

Cheerz!

Androme (if you wish to comment to me privately, please e-mail me at androme87@hotmail.com) 

PS: any Orlando fans here? (#^_^#) 

* * *


	2. Double Fun

Double Fun

_"Father." _Legolas greeted respectfully. King Thranduil stepped from his throne and gave his youngest son a huge hug. 

_"Welcome back, Legolas,"_ he said, a wide grin spreading across his ageless face. _"You have thinned. Have you been eating well on your journeys?"_

_"Aye, Father,"_ Legolas said, his heart warming at his father's concern. _"Very well."_

King Thranduil walked around his son with a skeptical look on his face. _"This will not do,"_ he said, shaking his head disapprovingly. _"Men! Prepare a feast for Legolas' return! Invite all of the Woodland Realm!"_

_"Father… there's no need…" _Legolas started. King Thranduil patted his shoulders with a smile. 

 _"Go and have a rest. I'll have someone calling you when the feast is done,"_ King Thranduil pushed him towards his room. 

Legolas, knowing fully well that his father cannot be talked out of giving the feast, sighed and retreated to his room with a respectful bow. But he went right past his room and into the royal guest rooms a corridor away. He stopped outside a room with a green door and knocked quietly. The door opened with a familiar face peeking out. 

_"Ethuil…"_ Legolas smiled at the young physician. _"How's the lady?"_

Ethuil placed a finger on her lips and closed the door behind her. She led Legolas away from the room. Then, she gave him a hard knock on the head. 

_"Ow! What was that for?"_ Legolas gasped and pressed his bruised head with his hand. Ethuil folded her arms across her chest and gave him a furious look. 

_"That was for leaving for so long! Do you know how lonely I was? And that was a nice present you gave me on your return!" _Ethuil retorted, displease written clearly all over her petite features. 

Legolas sighed. _"Ethuil… I…"_

Before he could get another word out, he felt her jump onto him and knocked the breath out of his lungs. 

_"But this… is for coming back,"_ he heard Ethuil said softly while burying her face on his torso. _"Welcome back… brother…"_

Legolas smiled and hugged his twin sister tightly. 

_"Come… I must show you something!" _Ethuil said abruptly and pulled Legolas towards the training area.  

Even before Legolas could protest, his speed demon of a sister had already dragged him to the steps leading to the training grounds. 

_"Wait here," _Ethuil ordered and ran off herself into the arena, disappearing behind the towering doors. Legolas sighed in exasperation. That was how Ethuil was like ever since she was a child. Fast, hot headed and impetuous. She could never really sit still to study the art of Elvish runes, nor could she have the patience to learn how to use the bow and arrow properly. He could still remember the times when Ethuil used the arrow as the bow and vice versa. It was what Legolas considered a miracle that Ethuil can actually have both the patience and stamina to concentrate on the, what he had always thought of as most tedious, art of Elvish medicine and healing. And now Ethuil was actually the head of the royal physicians. 

Suddenly, an arrow shot out from nowhere and towards Legolas. Reacting quickly, Legolas dodged and caught at arrow at its body. Judging by the speed at it was going, and the direction it was pointing at, the arrow was fired with the intention to kill. He looked at the direction where the arrow came from, and felt his heartbeats quickened painfully. _It was from the training grounds!_

_'Ethuil!'_ If a skilled warrior was really within the training grounds with Ethuil, then she… 

_"Ethuil!"_ Legolas shouted as he burst through the doors. _"Eth…__"___

_"How was it?"_ Ethuil's cheeky face popped up suddenly beside him, giving Legolas the mother of all scares. 

_"Ethuil!"_ Legolas immediately pulled her to face him and inspected her body for any injuries. When he made sure that she was unscathed, he took a deep breath and exploded. 

_"What in the name of Valor is going on?"_ he shouted, shaking the arrow in her face. _"Who shot this?"_

Ethuil's face, which showed no trace of remorse, broke into a grin. _"Me."_

Legolas had his mouth opened to continue reprimanding Ethuil, but her reply stopped all the words from his throat from coming out. He closed his mouth and stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. 

_"You shot this?"_ Legolas asked, emphasizing on each syllable. His tall and lithe body stepped closer to Ethuil's petite figure. 

Ethuil, sensing something bad was going to happen, took a step back and swallowed. _"Yes."_

_"You?"_ Legolas was not going to let her off for shortening his life by a few centuries when she gave him such a scare. He stepped closer to her, his sky blue eyes twinkling dangerously as they stared deeply into their mirror images. 

_"Y…Yes…" _Ethuil, sensing that something was really wrong with her usually mild-tempered brother, took another step back. 

Legolas smiled pleasantly, and Ethuil saw how his handsome face lit up to a stage beyond perfection. She swallowed thickly and her heart began hammering against her ribs. The last time Legolas showed such a friendly smile was when he was barely a century old. And at that incident, she almost had a nightmare of deadly arrows with flying swords for a month. 

_"Sorry…"_ Ethuil apologized softly. _"I wanted to surprise you with my new bow."_

Legolas cocked an eyebrow and sighed. He can never stay angry with her for long. The only soft spot he possessed was probably this twin of his. _"Don't do this again. I thought something happened to you."_

Ethuil immediately felt even guiltier at her brother's tender tone. She knew that if Legolas had played the same trick on her, she would probably have the same reaction, only more violent. _"Sorry."_

A faint smile and less deadly smile appeared on his face. _"Now… where's that new bow you wanted to show me?"_

*          *          *

Legolas slipped onto the silken silver-blue tunic and relished the smoothness of the cloth. It had been a long time since he had slipped into his home clothes. While buttoning his shirt, he had a sudden thought for his friend, Gimli. 

_'I wonder if he's safe at his caves… If only there's some way I can contact him but…'_

_"Legolas!" _ a male voice shouted and soon, an elf with long copper hair tied held neatly together by a silver headband burst into his room. 

 _"Aduial!" _Legolas shouted happily. The two old friends laughed and gave each other a thump on the shoulders. 

_"I was the Southern woods when word was going around that there would be a feast for the return of Prince Legolas," _Aduial began breathlessly. Then he repeated King Thranduil's actions and looked all about him. _"You look thinner…"_

Legolas sighed in exasperation. Perhaps it was a mistake having his father's right hand man as a best friend. At certain times, like right now, it sure felt as though Legolas had two fathers. _"You know, my father did and said the exact same things as you had."_

Aduial laughed. _"This is what we call 'Great minds think alike.'"_

Legolas shook his head. Then he changed the subject. _"Thanks for teaching Ethuil how to use the bow and arrow."_

_"That was nothing. She's a pretty good student,"_ Aduial replied with a faraway look in his jade eyes, as though indulging in some fond, distance memories. 

_"She was so good, she almost killed me just now,"_ Legolas retorted indignantly, causing Aduial to burst into laughter again. Then he eyed his friend with a sly look. _"I wonder how it was possible that my dear twin can actually listen to someone else other than me and Father. Unless… he was someone she fancies…"_

A pale pink tinge touched Aduial's cheekbones and he turned away. _"I heard that you brought a lady back?"_

_"She was injured when I found her in the Central woods,"_ Legolas explained. _"Ethuil will not let me in to see her, but judging by the intensity of her grumbling, that lady was rather badly injured."_ Legolas' brows knitted as he thought about the wound on her abdomen.

_"Don't worry about it too much," _Aduial comforted. _"You can be sure of Ethuil's skills."_

Legolas could not resist the urge to tease his friend again. _"Hm… You seem to know a lot of Ethuil."_ He deliberately elongated his sentence for a better teasing effect. 

Aduial turned away again, but not before Legolas caught sight of his rapidly reddening cheeks. _"Let's get your bow and have a few rounds, shall we?"_

Legolas was up to any type of archery challenge. He hadn't had touched his bow since Sauron was defeated, and he was eager for an excuse to use his prized bow again. _"Now you have said the magic words. Let's go."_

*          *          *

Hihi again! Thank you for reading this short chapter… If you think this sucked, give your comments! I love to read reviews… =D 

Androme

**Jasper: Hi! Thanks for reviewing… ^_^ About the three rings and the powers information, thanks for telling me about it… =P As you may have guessed, I'm not really that… erm… informed about the past, present and future of Middle Earth. About the Encyclopedia of Arda, I'll check it out soon, ya? =D As for the trilogy, I had read it, but only once. This story is erm… actually… to show another side of Legolas which I interpreted from the movie. (you can say I'm better at 'reading' pictures than words… =P) Hope you like it… but perhaps I'll re-write it again… (Why again? This is a third time I'm rewriting this story… =P) But really thanks for your reviews!!! Hope you like this chapter… _^******


	3. The Stranger

**Hi scorpio!!! Thanks!!! I will!!! =D**

**Hi cherry!! I love orlando too…. He's absolutely gorgeous! Have you seen him in POTC? ^_^ awesome right? Hee hee… I dun mean just the looks… I also mean his acting skills. how often do I update? Well… it depends on my brain and on my body… =P if I get the ideas, I may put them down. If I can the urge, I can also put them down… if I get the time, I'll also put them down. Right now, I have the ideas, and the urge, just not the time… =( but I will continue with this!!! ^^ As to your questions, I'll definitely reveal everything, but… not _that_ soon… =P **

**Hi lotrgirls… ^_^ thanks for reading my story!!! #^_^# what happens to the girl? Well… just scroll down and read… haha… ^^V**

**Hi Elizabeth! ^5 on the Legolas fans thing. ^^ thank you for reviewing my story… haha… thought many people would not like the idea of Legolas having a twin and everything… ^^ so relieved… anyway, hope you like this second chapter!!! ^_^**

The Stranger

_"Can you tell me now how is she?" _Legolas asked in exasperation. It had been almost a week since he brought the lady back, and he does not even know anything about her injuries. __

Ethuil shook her head, her rosy lips pressed tightly together.

Legolas could feel a throbbing sensation in his temple. _"Can you at least tell me why you can't?"_ Something tells Legolas that the answer to his second question would be another shake of Ethuil's head. 

_"She told me not to tell,"_ Ethuil replied, much to Legolas' surprise. At his wide-eyed and puzzled look, Ethuil patted her brother's head playfully. 

_"Be more patient brother… I know she's attractive, but can't you just be more patient?"_ Ethuil said mischievously. _"You'll have plenty of time to spend with her when she's better."_

Legolas could feel his temple aching harder. Trust his sister to think of _that_ reason. _"Okay… Whatever…"_

With a dejected sigh, Legolas headed back to his room. Ethuil's word did have some truth in them. That stranger _is _attractive… She's probably the most beautiful woman, other than Arwen and Ethuil, he had ever seen. 

_'Could she be an elf as well?'_ Legolas thought while falling in his bed. He hadn't had a good look at her ears, because of the helmet she was wearing. 

 _'Why is she garbed in battle attire anyway? Now that Sauron's dead, there should not be any more wars in Middle Earth,'_ Legolas knitted his brows. _'Could there be another war that Mirkwood had not known of?'_

_'How and why is she wounded anyway?'_ Judging from how deep and long her wound was, Legolas could safely say that the wound was caused by a sword. The precision and the deadliness of the wound also told Legolas another thing. Her wound was inflicted by a skilled warrior, probably more trained in the art of sword wielding than Aragorn. 

He closed his eyes and visualized the surroundings then. From the level of wetness of the soil, the lady had probably had been in the woods for at least an hour. It was amazing how she managed to live till now. Also from the area which the blood had soaked in to the soil and the direction which the bloodstains on her armor was directing, she had been standing in the area for quite some time. 

His entire hypothesis only thickens the mystery around the stranger. Legolas sighed and lied back in bed. Then, a thought struck him. 

_'Why am I so concerned about her?'_

*          *          *

Ethuil closed the door quietly behind her. "How are you feeling?" 

"Better. Thank you," a soft voice replied. "Who was that?"

"My twin… He's the one who brought you back," Ethuil replied while pounding some herbs together. Although the room was only dimly lit, Ethuil's elvish sight allowed her to see the herbs as though under bright sunlight. 

"You didn't tell him about…" she started.

"Nope… I'll leave it to you to say it yourself," Ethuil replied cheerily. "But, why don't you want him to know about you?"

Ethuil's eyes caught a head-shaking motion somewhere on the other side of the room. "There's no why. I just don't feel comfortable having so many people knowing about myself."

"Ok," Ethuil replied uncertainly. "But I think you owe Legolas a few explanations. He's really worried about you."

A faint flash of white was seen. "I will explain all that I was to… but nothing more."

"You better hurry before he starts pointing his blade at me for answers," Ethuil said jokingly. 

"Don't worry… I will."

*          *          *

Legolas sat down on the balcony from the highest tower. His feet dangled a few hundred feet from the ground, and he was looking across the sea of emerald like trees. He loved this spot. This is where he could have some peace and quiet for thinking. 

His ears picked up a soft footstep. _'A woman.' _He thought. Quickly, Legolas leapt from his seat and hid behind the wooden door. As the footsteps approach, Legolas smelt a faint herbal smell. 

_'Ethuil?'_ Legolas thought. _'No… the smell on her is much stronger.'_

_"Hello,"_ a melodious voice called out. The newcomer had stopped at the door, as though she sensed Legolas' presence. _"What are you doing there?"_

Legolas came out from behind the door. _"How did you know?" _The lady was back facing him.

_"I can sense it,"_ she replied matter-of-factly. Then, she turned to face Legolas. _"Thanks for saving me the other day."_

Legolas stood rooted on the spot. At that very moment, he could not find any words to describe the beautiful sight before him. The lady he had wanted to meet looked entirely different in elvish garbs. Her heart shaped face sported a pair of deep blue-green eyes with long lashes that made her eyes pleasant to look at, and a finely sculpted nose typical of an eye-catching lady. Her cheeks carried a healthy tinge of rose that matches the pink colour on her lips. Dark, silky raven tresses flowed gently past her shoulders, accentuating her peach and soft complexion, and the slim and graceful contours of her body. Part of her hair was gathered up into a braid that traced the curves of her back. Strands of her fringe were pulled out to frame her flawless face, adding a touch of sweet innocence on her part. Even though she was clothed in a simple, unadorned white garb, the snowy colour contrasted her hair and highlighted her face, bringing out her simple but elegant beauty.

He knew it was rude to stare, but to disallow him from staring was a tad too difficult for him. 

The lady looked at him with a puzzled smile. _"Is something wrong?"_

_"Nothing, nothing," _Legolas shook his head and tore his eyes away from her. Then, an awkward silence fell between them. 

_"How are your wounds?"_ Legolas asked. His heart was beating painfully fast when he spoke the first word. 

_"Better, thanks to your sister," _the lady replied, sitting down on the balcony. Legolas immediately sat down beside her, afraid that she might fall off accidentally. 

_"I'm Elenath."_

_"That's a beautiful name,"_ Legolas commented. _"I'm Legolas."_

Elenath looked at Legolas. _"Thank you for saving me." _

_"It's not a problem,"_ Legolas replied, somewhat mesmerized by her eyes. _"Can I ask why you were injured?"_

Elenath's lips parted to a mysterious smile. _"Can I not answer that question?"_

Legolas nodded. _"It's alright if you don't wish to tell me. I'll respect your decision."_

_"Thank you."_

_"You're welcome."_

Both of them sat quietly after that, looking out at picturesque scenery from the spot. But Legolas' eyes could not help sliding sideward at the more attractive image before him. He did not understand why anyone in the right state of mind would want to harm this stunning lady before him. 

_"Are you always this quiet?" _Elenath asked. 

Legolas smiled. For a moment, he felt real bold. _"Only in front of a beautiful lady."_

Elenath smiled and giggled. _"__I__'__ll take that as a compliment.__"___

_"It is a compliment,"_ Legolas replied with a glint in his eyes. 

*          *          *

Hihi again! Please accept my bow and kowtow if you have read and review this and any other chapters in _An Elven Story_. ^_^ I now this did not reveal much about Elenath, the girl everyone wants to know… (you can put down that chopper in your hand… =P) this chapter is actually meant to tear all your hair out about Elenath. But most of everything about her would be revealed in the next chapter… for now, just know that her name is Elenath… ^^ I promise that part of the next chapter would be written in her point of view… and you can learn about her wounds and everything… ^^ and I can promise that something about her would definitely be unexpected… hee hee… if you want to figure out what is it, try looking closer at the dialogues between Legolas and Elenath! Hee hee! 

Thank you again if you had read & review this chapter! 

Androme


	4. Prince Charming

**To Lotrgirls: thank you! ^_^ good that you like my character…. =D there's no language because I dunno the language… and because most of the scenes here would be spoken in elvish… it would be pretty hard to write in elvish for all of them. **

**To Earilmadith: sure I'm going to finish it… as soon as I can get the time to do so… ;) Red eyes? that you have to wait… because I'm still planning… =P**

**To LorindolTiuviel: Just scroll down… ^^ **

**To Lobo Diablo: read on and you'll know… ^_^**

Prince Charming

Elenath smiled at the elf prince before her. She had guessed from Ethuil's features that this first half of the twin had looks enough to knock women off their feet, but never had she expected him to be thus handsome. 

Less subtly than Legolas, Elenath ran her eyes over the taut and lithe physique that only came from a lifetime of disciplined training. As her vision glided from his lean limbs and muscles, her gaze stopped at his face. The morning light threw the side of his face into sharp relief, accentuating the finely sculpted nose and the handsome slant of his cheekbones. The sky blue eyes sparkled from where they are like the finest aquamarines. His light blond trickled carelessly on his shoulders, part of which gathered up into a simple ponytail. 

He is good looking. That she cannot lie.

_"Are you always this quiet?"_ she asked. 

_"Only in front of a beautiful lady."_

Elenath couldn't resist a smile and a giggle. _"I'll take that as a compliment."_

_"It is a compliment."_

She smiled again, and looked straight ahead at the infinite stretch of forest before her. Long had she heard of the beauty of Mirkwood, but it was at this moment did she realize that those words and praises spoken of the ancient forest could never ever fully describe the beauty that was before her eyes. 

_"Are you an elf?"_ Legolas spoke up suddenly. 

Elenath cocked an eyebrow. _"What makes you think that?"_

Legolas shrugged. _"You speak Sindarin."_

She gasped inwardly. How could she have been so careless? Elenath kept her surprise and distress carefully hidden. _"I know a few elves. They taught me your language."_

_"Oh," _Legolas' voice trailed off suspiciously into the aromatic air. 

Elenath looked away. She knew what Legolas was thinking. Sindarin, or Quenya was not a language everyone knew, neither is it a language that mortals can learn that simply. Unless one had grown up in the accompaniment of elves, it is highly doubted that he or she could master either language. 

The truth is, she did grow up in an elvish environment. Only she feels there is no need to tell Legolas that. For that would lead to many other inconvenient things happening. The last thing she wanted, were obstacles. 

Obstacles…

*          *          *

Legolas walked back to his room with a somewhat disappointed sigh. Finally, he gets to meet the lady he was thinking of, but their meeting was, least to say, awkward. 

_"Legolas!"_

Legolas turned to see who was calling him. His face lit into a smile as he saw Aduial waving ecstatically at him with an elvish blade in his hands. 

_"What's going on?"_ Legolas asked, eyeing the shining blade. 

_"Sparring contest,"_ Aduial replied, his eyes sparkling. _"Come! Join us!"_ Without waiting for Legolas' reply, Aduial grabbed his elbow and pulled him towards the training area. Legolas sighed and allowed himself to be pulled. 

_"Hey! We have a new contestant!" _Aduial shouted as he pushed open the door. 

Legolas looked up and saw most of the warrior elves in the training grounds. It seemed to him that he was the only one who can fight, but was not there. 

_"Legolas!"_ Ethuil was jumping up and down at the side of the courts, waving excitedly. She continued jumping three more times. At the fourth count, she leapt up, somersaulted across the courts and landed neatly in front of him. 

Legolas widened his eyes. _"When did you learn that?"_

His sister grinned widely, and sneaked a side look at Aduial. _"It doesn't matter. Come! No one's beaten me yet."_

_"Wha… Hey! Ethuil! Where are you taking–"_ Legolas stopped short as Ethuil stuffed the hilt of a sword into his hands. _"Me…"_

Ethuil smiled slyly and lunged at Legolas. 

_"Whoa! Ethuil!" _Legolas held up his sword in time to protect his arm from being chopped off. _"Ethuil!" _

_"Come on, Legolas. You can fight better than that!"_ Ethuil shouted. Her strokes were fast, accurate, apparently well trained by a skilled soldier. 

Legolas knitted his brows. They had exchanged twenty strokes so far, and Legolas never countered a single stroke. He kept a passive smile on his face while he successfully blocked every of Ethuil's thrusts. 

_'Forty-nine, fifty!'_ Legolas counted inwardly. Then, he moved faster. 

_"Ethuil… be careful!" _Legolas said as he thrust out his sword. Ethuil barely managed to duck just as the tip of the blade sliced through where her head was a second ago. Her heart skipped a beat. As she straightened, she heard the wind cutting behind her. Clumsily, she stepped aside and held up her sword to stop the incoming blade. Legolas flicked his wrist and the sword swerved past her sword. Before Ethuil could register any thought, he twirled the sword deftly between his fingers and held the tip gently on Ethuil's temple. 

Ethuil was breathing hard and she slowly lowered her weapon. _"That was great!"_

Legolas smiled and lowered his weapon. Then, he stepped closer to Ethuil and inspected her for any injuries. _"You were great too."_

Ethuil blushed slightly and Legolas patted her head brotherly. _"Aduial! Your turn!" _Then she turned to Legolas. _"Let me see the two best fighters in Mirkwood in action, alright?"_

Legolas looked at his earnest sister with an exasperated sigh. He _really_ need to learn how to say 'no' to his sister. 

*          *          *

Elenath stood behind the pillar, watching Legolas sparred with Aduial. As the two blades clanged against each other merrily, she could not take her eyes off a certain blond hair elf. 

_'He's good,'_ Elenath noted. Being a warrior herself, her eyes were trained to check out an opponent's footwork or skills. 

Her eyes followed Legolas as he leapt agilely over Aduial. His footwork was swift and agile, matching the skillfulness and precision of his thrusts and parries. Legolas was not like any other dumb warriors she had seen, using brute strength only. He was a skilled warrior, with each move a possible fatal one. 

Irresistibly, her gaze lingered on Legolas' face. He looked slightly different from just now. When in a battle, Legolas put on a toughened look. His jaw locked and his brows knitted tightly, while his moves were graceful and experienced. All that only added on to his allure. 

She could not help it. Her eyes could not take themselves off him. Off that chiseled jaw… off that good-looking profile… off the Prince of Mirkwood…

Elenath looked away, her usually steeled heart quickening slightly. _'No… no more falling in love for you young lady… No more…'_

The past rushes past her mind, stinging her eyes with hot tears. _'No…more…'_

*          *          *

There was a 'miniature' feast that night for the champion of the sparring contest. Legolas, having won the contest hands down, wondered if the feast was really as impromptu as Ethuil had said. He took a glance down the fifty-meter long table and raised an eyebrow at his twin, who simply raised her goblet with a cheeky smile. 

Legolas felt a faint headache approaching as he took a sip of the wine in his goblet. With a sigh of resignation, he tucked in. His eyes soon wandered off his plate and towards a certain raven-hair lady sitting two seats diagonally across from him. 

*          *          *

Elenath felt Legolas' eyes on her and she purposefully looked away. For some reason, she feels that if she should look any longer in his eyes, her heart would be taken. As it is now, her heart was beating crazily against her ribs.

_'I can't fall in love again!'_ Elenath told herself. _'No young lady… stop thinking about him!'_

Like so many times before, Elenath forced her heart to calm down. Slowly, she felt her heart slowing down. 

_'He is the Prince…'_ Elenath reminded herself. _'He's the Prince…'_

*          *          *

She looked up at the stars. Her name meant the stars. Her life revolves around the stars. Since young, she has the powers to know the future by astrology. The different positions of the stars allow her to calculate the future. It was a gift, as well as a curse.

Elenath looked at her clean, slim fingers. Who could have imagined that those fingers had once stained the blood of so many other elves? So many other beings of her own kinds, and so many people whom she had believed once…

Her fingers touched her stomach carefully. The wound had healed, but not entirely. She smiled bitterly as she remembered the happenings of that day. She remembered how the elvish blade slid through her body just as she stabbed her own into her opponent's chest. The last thing she heard from the man was the three words that she had longed to hear. Every time her heart was taken, nothing good would ever come out of it.

It was too late…

All too… late… 

She was a cursed star. A star that was born under the alignment of thirteen galaxies in a straight line. Her whole life had been cursed, so would be everyone who loved her, and whom she loved. 

She looked perfect, but nothing about her was perfect. Even her blood. In her body runs the worst of both humans and elves, yet carries the best of both species. She was nothing more than an impurity in both species of humans and elves… 

*          *          *__

Hello everyone! Hope you like this chapter… thank you all for your reviews!!!!!! ^_^ Any more questions about Elenath? ^_


	5. Story of Stars

**To iloveorlandobloom: hi five! Glad to know that I'm not the only one in this world who liked both Legolas and Orlando…. To me, both are equally gorgeous! ^_^**

**To Fluff Writer: What are you confused about? You can e-mail me about it… so I can improve on my story telling skills… ^-^**

**To LOTR Chic: Haha… wow… you're a bigger fan than I am… will continue this story… =) Cause this one's more easier to write about than Harry Potter… =P **

**To lotrgirls: Oh… I don't believe in using such language in my stories… unless _absolutely_ necessary… ^-^ cos… ya, likewise, I also hear enough of it at school to not use it on black and white…**

**To cherry: not really… she isn't a starchild… (my definition is that she is part star or something like that… =P) as for the origins of her name, it would be revealed later. About her own origins, scroll down! ^_^ ya, the three words is 'I love you', but wherever _he_ went to… that would be a mystery for the next chapters… so… sit tight and wait. ^o^**

**To LorindolTinuviel: Thank you!!!! ^_^ here's more! =D**

**To zxinxa: Thank you for reviewing… will take note of that when I continue… =)**

Story of Stars

Legolas looked across and saw a figure sitting alone in the vast field. She was looking skywards at the starlit sky.

_"Elenath,"_ Legolas called out. Elenath jumped slightly and turned. She flashed a slight smile at him before returning her gaze at the sky. 

_"May I?" _Legolas said, referring to the seat next to her. 

_"Sure."_

Legolas sat down and followed her gaze at the beautiful night sky. The vast dome of midnight blue was strewn with a dizzying array of stars. River like galaxies carved their route across the endless curtain of night. 

_"Heavens…" _Legolas breathed out heavily. It was the first time he had seen such a beautiful starlit sky. He cast a sight at Elenath, whose brows were knitted tightly as one. 

_"What's wrong?"_

Elenath did not respond. She just stared intently at the stars. It was a long moment after did she open her mouth. 

_"Legolas, do you believe in astrology?"_

_"Astrology?" _Legolas considered. _"Depends I guess… I hadn't had the chance to really try astrology or learn it."_

Elenath fell silent for a short while. Then she looked upwards again. Legolas followed her glance.

Suddenly, a shooting star streaked across the dark sky, illuminating everything briefly with its fire. Then, as quickly as it had come, it faded to nothing and its brilliant light died. Legolas smiled a little sadly to himself. Shooting stars always filled him with a lingering sadness with their tragic beauty. But he was glad he caught the sight.

_"Legolas… have you heard of the myth about shooting stars?" _Elenath asked suddenly. The question caught Legolas by surprise, as he had no idea what she was talking about. 

_"No."_

Elenath looked in the direction where the shooting star disappeared. _"It was said that each star in the sky represents a living being. When the star is in the sky, that being is healthy and alive, but when the star falls, that being's life had come to an end."_

_"That's a sad myth… I hope it's not true."_ Legolas said softly. He sneaked a glance at Elenath, who was looking at the sky with glassy eyes. His heart jumped when a solitary tear trickled out of her eye. 

_"Elenath! What's wrong?" _Legolas exclaimed. 

_"I hate stars…" _was the reply. 

_'What? But her name…'_

Legolas sat closer to her and wiped the tear off her cheeks. Elenath did not seem to notice his actions. Single droplets of tears continued tricking down her cheeks.

_"Can I ask why?"_ Legolas asked gently. For some reason, his heart felt a twisting pain when he saw Elenath like this. 

_"I saw a meteor rain once…" _Elenath replied. It took Legolas by surprise, as he wasn't expecting her to answer his question. After all, she had refused to reply his other questions. 

_"That was when I saw many people die in front of me… immediately after, I saw the meteor rain." _Elenath had her hands clenched in to tight fists. _"Why is it that such beautiful things represented such horrid happenings?"_

Legolas was taken aback by the sudden anger Elenath showed. Then, he smiled and turned her to face him. 

_"Perhaps it's because the souls of those beings found a beautiful place to go to, thus they use shooting stars to tell the people they loved, that they are in a place as beautiful as shooting stars." _Legolas unknowingly caressed her smooth cheeks and wiped away the traces of tears. 

_"Someone so beautiful should not harvest such angry thoughts," _Legolas said sincerely. 

Elenath looked back at him, her emerald eyes shining from deep within. _"You shouldn't judge people by their looks."_

Legolas' smile widened. _"I never judge people by their looks. I judge them by their character, their personality and their heart."_ He tapped his left chest. _"And I believe that behind that beautiful face of yours, was a good heart."_ __

She was surprised. All her life, she had been looked down upon and despised by human and elves alike, for being different. There was no place she belonged, not even in the abode of elves. If not for his love and caring for the past century… she doubt she would even live till now. 

_"Where do you come from?" _Legolas asked, changing the subject. 

Elenath was quiet for a while. _"Valinor." _

It was Legolas' turn to be surprised. He knew that most of the elves of Middle Earth had retreated to Valinor, but it was the first for him to learn that there was actually a being who came back to Middle Earth from the Undying Lands. 

_"So… you're an elf then?" _Legolas asked. After all, only elves go to Valinor, right?

_"You can say that."_

He was confused. It seemed as though Elenath was saying she was and was not an elf. _"What do you mean?"_

_"I'm the result of an unholy combination of humans and elves. I'm a half-elf." _Elenath sneered at herself.

_"Why do you use the word 'unholy'?" _Legolas asked. 

_"How many people do you know who are mongrels?" _Elenath replied sharply. 

_"No one." _Legolas replied quietly. _"No one in my eyes are mongrels, you least of all." _

More harsh words were already on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed her words at Legolas' soft reply. 

_"Everyone is special in their own way. You possess the best of both species, that made you special," _Legolas said, tenderly brushing her hair back. _"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself some credit; give the stars some credit."_

Elenath understood the underlying meaning. She was speechless. No one had ever said such things to her. 

Legolas looked at the flawless face before him and felt a surge of unknown emotion. Before he could stop himself, he had leaned forward and kissed her lightly on her cheeks. Then, a faint blush touched his handsome features.  

_"Goodnight," _Legolas said, before striding off to the palace, leaving Elenath alone on the field, touching her cheeks. 

*          *          *

_'Now you've done it, Legolas!' _When reaching his room, he felt the urge to kick himself. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why did he kiss her? He barely knew her for two days, and already, he had committed a crime of violation of modesty. 

_'I better apologize to her…' _Legolas thought. It wouldn't be that tough a mission if not for that fact that his legs now weaken at the thought of looking at her. 

But deep within his heart, he felt happy that he had kissed her…

Legolas knocked himself on his head. _'For goodness sake Legolas! What kind of thoughts are you thinking?'_

He threw himself on his bed and closed his eyes. Why? Why is he feeling so… confused? What kind of emotion is he feeling now? 

Is it… love?

*          *          *

Elenath could not stop her heart anymore. She knew… she knew what she had to do. Even though it might hurt Legolas, she had to do it…

For his own good…

*          *          *

Hihi everyone! Thank you for reading (and reviewing)… how's this chapter? Hope you guys aren't too un-surprised at Elenath's origins. =P I was hoping for it to be a surprise… ^-^ how you find this chapter? Please review! 


	6. Mission Impossible

**To cherry: Not entirely correct… perhaps you will understand better once you read this chapter. As for Legolas' life… Hm… *evil smile* sh……**

**To lotrgirls: No problem. I never minded more reviews… _^ Thank you for reading! ^_^ It's great to have people reading my stories too… =D**

**To Fluff-Writer: Yeah!!!!!!**

** To Anne: Thank you! Here's the update! Hope you like it! **

Mission Impossible

_"Elenath… Do you know what you have to do?"_

_"No…" _Elenath replied. She had gotten used to this voice, for it was the voice that helped her survive the past few centuries. As much as it had caused her heart to break a million times, she still obeyed the voice. 

_"You have to kill one person in this woods before you can be totally free of your curse," _the voice said, the tones wavering with suspense and some excitement. 

_"Who?"_ Elenath asked quietly. Killing one more elf does not make any difference does it? 

_"Legolas…" _

Elenath's heart jumped at the name. _"What?!"_

_"Legolas is born in the same year as you are, which makes him the best person for you to break the curse. Without his death, you can never be free of that curse… I know you have feelings for him… So… you have a choice now before you. Choose wisely."_

_"No… wait! Come back!" _Elenath cried. She opened her eyes and looked up at the starry sky. _"Come back… No…"_

_'Why?'_ Elenath asked herself. _'Why can't I not kill the man I love…for once?'_

_'No…'_

The words of the voice echoed in her mind. It had known her heart even better than she does. It wasn't as though she had not gotten over such heartaches. This was the last elf she had to kill. The last elf she had to slain before she could be rid of the curse. 

Can she? Can she bear to kill Legolas? Why not? She barely knew him for a week. To put it truthfully, they are just acquaintances, nothing more. 

She did not even have the chance to push him away, to push him in a safer zone. A zone away from her wrath and her blade. Her last kill was barely ten days ago, and now, she had to kill again. Her hands clenched tightly into fists. Each time her heart would be torn to bits, leaving for another man to piece them back together again, only to have it torn again. It's a vicious cycle, one that she cannot control.

Yet all her life she had wished to be rid of the curse that haunted her every move. There was a reason why she hated stars. She needs the stars to live, to survive. She needed seven particular stars in the entire universe to live: the *Northern Crux. 

Being a half-elf born on the day when thirteen galaxies were in one straight line, Elenath was brought into the world with a gift and a curse. A gift that allows Elenath to predict the future using the art of astrology. If she should really use her skills in astrology, she had been told that she could change the future by changing the positions of the stars. But she had not tried it before, thus she never knew if she truly possessed the gift. 

Yet everything came with a price. Her gift at astrology required needed her blood to be exposed to the light of the stars. Her life was bounded to the seven most special stars in the sky, the Northern Crux. These seven stars controls the life force for her to live, for her to survive, for her to continue breathing. On nights when these stars cannot be seen, Elenath would become so weak that she could hardly even walk. On nights when these stars are the brightest, Elenath would feel power within her, threatening to burst out of her body. It was then she would feel the urge to kill, the urge to use her powers. For if she does not, the consequences would be disastrous. 

Her name meant the stars, but to her, it only reminded her of the bind she had with the stars.

_*            *            *_

Legolas looked around for the familiar raven-haired lady. It was three nights ago since he had kissed her, and for three days, she had locked herself in her room, only admitting Ethuil to her room. Other than that, she remained shy from the rest of the elves. 

He sat down on the field and lied down with a sigh. It was fairly overcast that night, so there were only limited stars that could be seen. For some reason, Legolas does not really feel the mood for stargazing. But looking at the stars distracted him from another person with the similar name. 

He cannot understand why he was feeling such. Each time her face floats up in his mind, his heart would beat faster and he would feel a warm sensation at his cheeks. 

Legolas knew from Aragorn's description of his encounter with Arwen that this was love. But, does Legolas really love Elenath the way Aragorn loved Arwen? The deep love Aragorn had for Arwen was something that Legolas admired deeply. Not more than once had he wished he could also have the happiness Aragorn experienced. He had wished for someone to care about, someone to love for, and to be loved back. 

Yet, what is love anyway? He certainly loved Ethuil, he also loved Aduial, and of course his elder brothers and his father, but… is there a difference from the familial and fraternal love than the love between a male and a female? 

Why can't love be as clear as the stars against the dark sky? Why must love be so obscured, so shadowed, and so vague? 

He knew it was irrational of him to fall in love with a lady whose backgrounds were nothing more than a mystery, but when was love ever rational? If loving his family had been resulted in him being rational, he wouldn't have allowed that monkey of a sister of his to drag him about for sparring practices. If he had been rational enough with his sister, he wouldn't have put up with the heart stopping tricks she played onto him since birth. If he had been rational enough with Aduial, he would not have taken that arrow for Aduial that fateful day. 

Love can make people think irrational thoughts, even familial and fraternal love. That was something Legolas knew, and something Legolas treasured. The more irrational his actions were, the more he treasured the love he has for his family and friends. 

Again, it was illogical. 

For once, Legolas would just like to have the eyes in his heart to sharpen, just so he could see and understand what he really feels. What his heart really wants. What he really wants. 

*            *            *

One can really say that only a woman can drive anyone nuts, even the two most patient men in Mirkwood. One of which is Legolas, the other, Aduial. Legolas caught Ethuil and Aduial sitting alone in the training grounds one day while he passed the area. Apparently, the former was not in a good mood, and the latter was trying his best to make Ethuil smile. 

Although Legolas knew better than to disturb the both of them, his common sense told him to help his best friend. Ethuil's temper was famous in Mirkwood for being hard and unreasonable, if she really wants to. Her record for being angry at other elves on Mirkwood was almost a few years. Her record for staying mad at Legolas was one hour. Thus, when Ethuil ever threw any tempers, most of the elves would leave Legolas to deal with her. 

Since their birth, King Thranduil and the royal family and resigned to the fate that their youngest members were, though sharing the same birth date, shared different personalities. 

Being earlier than Ethuil by a few minutes, Legolas possessed the personality of the water; calm and gentile. He believed that haste makes waste, but do not be tricked by his peaceful appearance. When required, the peaceful water can rage into a treacherous wave, engulfing all in its path. 

Ethuil, being the last of Thranduil's children, and being the only rose among the thorns, had been pampered since birth. This had resulted in her fiery like personality. When provoked, she would flare up as though one had thrown a dry log into a fire. Sparks would fly and the flames would swallow up all in its way. Yet a fire can be extinguished as easily as it was started. Once you left it alone enough for the flames to die down, without any more addition of wood, the fire would not relight again. It was the same with Ethuil. Her temper may rise very quickly, but if given the time to cool down, she would be appeased and would not even put the matter in mind. 

It was funny how Legolas was like water, and Ethuil like fire. Of all the things that could extinguish fire, water was the best. Of all the people that could appease Ethuil, Legolas was the best. Perhaps it's because of their personality traits, or perhaps it's because of their inborn twin-telepathy. Ethuil would only listen to Legolas. Even Thranduil, the King of Mirkwood, cannot control his youngest daughter totally. 

_"What's wrong?"_ Legolas asked quietly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had swallowed up the atmosphere. Aduial looked relieved to see him, but Ethuil stood up and changed her position. 

_"Aduial?"_ Legolas eyed his friend, who shrugged helplessly. _"Ethuil?"_

An obstinate shake of the head…

With the familiar sensation of a growing headache, Legolas stepped closer to Ethuil. He placed his hands on her slim shoulders and he used the gentle tone specially reserved for extinguishing fires. 

_"Who offended the princess of Mirkwood?"_ Legolas crooned, as though coaxing a young child. _"Tell me, and I'll punish that person."_

Ethuil just shook her head haughtily, sweeping her long dark blond tresses into Legolas' face. 

A sense of walking to fire overcame Legolas' mind. He sighed. _"Ethuil…"_

_"Legolas! This does not concern you! Just leave me alone!" _Ethuil finally spoke and started pushing Legolas away. 

_"Ethuil… What's wrong?" _Legolas raised his voice and grabbed the pair of hands that were beating his chest. 

_"No…Nothing!" _Ethuil tried to hide the cough that choked her words temporarily.__

Legolas' ears were not trained for nothing. His eyes narrowed as he brought Ethuil closer to him. _"What's wrong?"_

_"I said nothing's wrong! Now will you just leave me alone?" _Ethuil screamed in frustration. Then she pointed her wrath at Aduial. _"You especially! Just. Get. Out!"_

Her last word echoed in the closed training grounds. Legolas waited for her to stop screaming and take another breath. Soon after, she stopped. Aduial and Legolas watched her pant heavily for a couple of seconds before looking at them again. 

Then, she collapsed. 

*            *            *

It sauntered in the darkness of the woods, seeking the quiet evil that strolls about the hidden shadows. There it is! 

It knelt down and touched the dry soil. Not too long ago, this patch of soil was freshly wet with her blood. The blood of the stars. It leant down on the soil and licked on the mud. The delightful taste of metallic liquid encompassed its tongue and sending thrills of delight up its back. 

This was not enough. It needs more… More elvish blood! More of the star blood! That day will come soon. Very, very soon. 

_"Elenath… you poor, poor, fool…"_

_*            *            *_

She could see Legolas' face tensed with pain. Her heart softened at his expression as she stood on the doorway, holding a tray. 

_"Legolas,"_ she called out quietly. 

Legolas jumped and turned. A faint smile touched his lips as Elenath stepped into the room. _"Hey…"_

_"How is she?" _Elenath asked, referring to the motionless figure on the bed. Legolas turned back sadly to face his unconscious twin. 

_"Still the same…"_ Legolas replied with slight despair in his tone. _"I don't understand…how could it happen?"_

_"Where's Aduial?"_ Elenath looked about for the head troublemaker. _"Shouldn't he be here?"_

Legolas' eyes flared at the sound of his name. _"He disappeared, right after I brought her back here." _He clenched his fist tightly and Elenath could hear the slight cracking of his knuckles. _"He better watch out."_

Elenath was confused. How could Aduial be the one who did this to Ethuil? From her quiet observations these past days, Aduial couldn't wait to marry Ethuil. How could he even bear to hurt Ethuil?

Legolas was not aware of Elenath's thoughts. All that occupied his mind now was his sister. His only twin sister. 

Elenath was struck. As the dark star lights seeped into the window and bounced off his face, she saw something only she could see. The intense care and concern he had for Ethuil was written all over his face, but there was something beneath. 

She saw him… Legolas was just like Lome… So much like him. Even the stars that night agreed. 

Elenath looked down at her fingers, which were bathed in silvery moonlight as she stood in the path of the moon. She could see the stains of the elvish blood that she spilled. She could hear their cries in her mind, and their tears in her eyes. 

_'Lome…'_

She cannot kill Legolas… She cannot kill Lome again. Once was enough. There is no need to kill a person the second time round. If she was destined to live with the curse for the rest of her life, so be it. So be it…

She cannot kill Legolas… 

*            *            *

Hihi again! Just popped up to say a few words. One: there is a Southern Crux, but no Northern Crux. I created that… =P Two: Lome is a word I found in a Quenya translator, which means 'sky'. But in some other websites, Lome is called 'dusk'… So… I'll stick with the translator, and thus a new character (minor) is born, named 'Sky'! [Lame… =P] Anyway, Lome and Elenath have this 'tiny' relationship… which will be revealed in the next chapter. Just by looking at their names you should know, right? Well, continue guessing the relationship between the Sky and the Stars. =P (I actually wanted to use moon in replace of sky, but moon sounds too 'femalish' so I changed it to Sky. Sun? erm… not very appropriate.) 

In this chapter, Elenath was trying to decide if she should choose an un-cursed life and guilt filled life, or a cursed life, but guilt free life. Here, I just have a tiny question to ask all readers… ^_^ If YOU were Elenath, which one would you choose? (Do not consider Legolas the hot elf in this. Just consider the choices.) If everyone considers Legolas, I'm 100% sure that everyone would choose a cursed life. =P Who would want our dearly beloved elf to die, right? But please, do not consider Leggy. _^ 

Eagerly awaits your answers!

Androme


	7. Dreams and Stars

**To Elizabeth: Hi! Thanks!! ^_^ I'm also not very sure which decision Elenath would make…=P (don't come after me!!! ^^)**

**To mkrux: The more difficult it is, the more interesting the story would get, no? ^o^ Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it too! =D**

**To cherryfaerie: good question… what did you ask? ^o^ nevermind… haha… ok. Will bear that in mind when I make 'the final decision'. _^**

**To Amber: Wow! That's a long review! Personally, I don't find your review a flame. I've seen worse flames in other stories… =S but I really like to thank you for giving me so many suggestions. Just to answer some of your comments:**

** Grammar: oops… ya, I know. You're not the first to comment about my grammar, and neither would you be the last. =P I'll try to change that, though sometimes my fingers worked faster than my brains. ^^;;; **

**Proofreading: oops again… I wouldn't mind having someone to proofread, but… I'm not boasting or anything, usually I'm the one proofreading others' essays. *rolls eyes* yeah. But I'll try to be careful of my tenses next time round. Perhaps you'll find some improvement here? **

**Mary-sue: triple oops… -_-;;; I have people commenting that my OCs are much too 'Mary-Sue'. I have to admit, I tend to write towards that kind of personality. But I assure you, it's not too late to change. ^^V It's only the initial stages of the story. I'll make sure that at least one of the points you mentioned would not be true by the time the story ends. _^ **

**Kill Leggy: Aw… I'll keep that in mind. And my ending would not be a typical 'happily ever after. ~The End'. I don't really like those kind of endings. Those are for Cindy and Snow White. Never for my stories… Somewhere in the story, I'll kill off some happy mood. =) (call me sadistic… ^_^)**

**Last but not least, thank you for taking time to write this long review. So happy that people like my writing style. ^o^ usually people find it confusing to have the Point of View changing from one character to another, and from a first-person to a third-person. ^^;;; Thanks!!!! **

**To lotrgirls: Thanks!!! Hope you like this one too… =D (ps: are you members of FF.net?)**

**To LOTR Chic: Ooook… I'll bear the "true love over curse" thing in mind. =D But not every elf would live to the end of my story… =) (I'm cruel… =P)**

**To Anne: I wouldn't want anything to happen to Leggy, but I won't mind anything happening to Ethuil, Aduial or Elenath. (*evil laugh*) here's the update. =D**

Dreams and Stars

Elenath sat quietly beside Legolas. She, too, was concerned about Ethuil. The latter had been her benefactor after all, and Elenath truly wished to do something for her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the anxiety clearly on Legolas' face. 

_"Legolas,"_ Elenath called softly. Legolas looked at her. Her heart softened as she took in his haggard features. 

_"You need some sleep," _Elenath commented. 

Legolas shook his head. _"I want to stay with her. She'll want to see me when she wakes up."_

Elenath sighed. _"I'm sure she would want to see a healthy looking brother, not one who looked as though he was starved for a couple of years."_

That got a tiny twitch on Legolas' lips. _"Do I look that bad?"_

_"Worse,"_ Elenath replied. She pulled Legolas up on his feet and pushed him towards the door. _"Now…go and get at least four hours of sleep. If I see you here before four hours is up, don't blame me for being violent."_

Legolas finally smiled. _"You sound like Ethuil."_

Elenath cocked her eyebrow. _"Good. Now, will you listen to the lady who sounds like your sister?"_

He chuckled. _"Alright, alright." _Legolas finally stepped out of the room he had been in for four days. Elenath gave a sigh of relief as she turned back to the sleeping figure on the bed. 

Ethuil's cheeks had a faint pinkish tinge on them, which means her body is regaining its health, though slowly. Elenath was glad that the medicinal skills she learnt the past centuries finally paid off on one patient. Usually, her medicinal skills were used to take the life of a person, never to give back the life. 

Taking care of Ethuil these days, making the medicines and everything, did push the main worry in Elenath's mind to the back of her brain. Now as she sits down quietly beside Ethuil, with nothing to accompany her other than the surrounding air, the troubling decision once again haunted her mind. She knew she shouldn't and couldn't kill Legolas. But… 

Could she control herself, when the time comes? 

*          *          *

It's been a long time since she had dreams. Ever since Lome's death, she forgot what it's like to have dreams, to have her heart speaking truthfully at her mind through images. 

Since young, Elenath's dreams are usually a medium through which she meets her heart. The images and the scenarios in her dreams are her heart's true desires. Even though most of the time, reality was different, she missed the feeling of able to see through what her heart truly wants. 

This time, she saw herself in Mirkwood. She saw herself holding hands with Legolas. She saw herself looking upwards at Legolas, and smiling at him. And he was, too, smiling back at her with tender love shining in his eyes. 

Elenath opened her eyes in fright. She was still seated in the chair next to Ethuil's bed. She was still alone in the dark room. Everything she saw was just a dream. Just a simple dream. As her mind started replaying the images she saw in her dream, her heart started pumping faster with dread. 

Is that what she really wanted? To be with Legolas? To be his wife? To have history replaying?

Before she could stop it, the deeply buried memories started floating up into her mind. Elenath closed her eyes in a bid to stop the past from replaying in her mind again, but it was futile. Lome's voice and face began appearing in her mind. 

_'No… please…'_ Elenath pleaded to herself. Yet her body would not obey her wishes. Slowly, the pages of memories started flipping themselves in Elenath's mind, showing her past once again before her eyes. 

*          *          *

Legolas did not fall asleep until an hour of staring at the ceiling later. His sleep was slow, but deep. As his mind slowed to let his weary body rest, he felt a sense of calmness that he had never felt before. During the past four days, he had been worrying so much for his sister that he almost forgot what it felt like to be calm. 

He did not know how long the peaceful darkness lasted, but what seemed like three hours later, an image began forming. As he saw the image spiraling and twisting into an clear picture, his breathing stopped. 

He was holding hands with Elenath, and they were sitting alone in the field. Elenath slowly laid her head on his shoulder and his arm snaked around her waist before tightened the hold. They were looking at the starry sky. Elenath looked up at him and smiled sweetly. Legolas saw his counterpart smiling back at her gently, lovingly, before planting a kiss on her forehead. Then, as they edge towards each other…

_"LEGOLAS!!!!"_ A sound resembling a battle cry tore Legolas away from his dream and back into reality. He sat straight up, his heart still pumping fast from being scared awake, and looked around for the culprit. A few seconds later, Aduial burst through his room. His usually neat hair was strewn messily across his broad shoulders. His face was oddly flushed, and he was panting heavily. His weapon dangled limply from the belt around his waist, while his hand was touching his abdomen.

Seeing the person he want to punch, Legolas leapt out of bed and delivered a well-aimed, and hearty punch right into Aduial's stomach. 

_"That was for Ethuil,"_ Legolas said, his voice laced with pure anger. Aduial coughed and sank to the floor, clutching his stomach. Legolas stared unfeelingly at him as he coughed repeatedly. In his opinion, that punch was actually letting him off. 

_"Le…Legolas…I…" _Aduial tried hard to get his words out, but something seemed to be choking his throat. Usually, Legolas would immediately kneel down beside his friend and ask concerned question. But right now, Legolas only felt like giving Aduial more punches. 

_"What have you got to say for yourself?"_ Legolas asked coldly. It had been a long time since he had felt this angry. 

Aduial's eyes were shut tightly and his brows were knitted together. He was panting quickly, and painfully. Legolas could see tears of agony touching his eyelashes, but did nothing to help his friend. 

_"I…"_ Aduial tried to talk again, but this time, red liquid trickled out of his mouth, drowning the rest of his words. That got Legolas' attention. 

His anger temporarily replaced by concern, Legolas knelt down beside Aduial. _"Are you alright?"_

Aduial did not open his eyes. Instead, he relaxed and fell limp. 

_"Aduial!"_ Legolas exclaimed in shock as he caught Aduial's body. _"Aduial!"_

*          *          *

_"Elenath…Why?" Lome asked weakly. His bloodstained hand shook as he raised it to touch Elenath's forehead._

_She looked away, trying to ignore the gentle, loving, and wounded look in his light gray eyes. With an obstinate shake, she shook the hand away from her face and pushed the blade further into his chest. _

_"Ah!" Lome gasped as more blood gushed out of the wound. He closed his eyes tightly as his body doubled over in pain. Elenath felt the warm and sticky liquid on her hands as she held the hilt tightly. Her body was shaking with fear, with horror, but also with understanding. _

_"E…Elenath…" Lome wheezed. "I… I don't know why…but…" With immense effort, he raised his hand and gently traced Elenath's face. "I'll be happy… to… die… if… it will make you… happy."_

_Elenath felt hot tears stinging her eyes as she felt the hand touch her face. She cannot speak. She cannot explain why. Not yet. _

_Lome's eyelids were drooping, but he forced a smile. "Elenath…"_

_"I love you…"_

_With that, Lome's hands dropped to his side, and his body leant entirely on Elenath._

_Elenath felt a sucking sensation in her throat. "Lome!" She pulled out the blade and gently laid Lome's body on the ground. _

_"No… No…" Why? Why can't she regain her voice a minute sooner? Just so she could tell Lome how she felt towards him. _

_"Lome… I'm so sorry," Elenath whispered, holding his upper body close to her heart. "I'm so sorry…"_

_"I love you too…"_

*          *          *

Elenath took in a sharp breath as her memories once again pierced her heart with a stabbing pain. Tears touched her eyes and trickled out uncontrollably. She can never, ever forget the tender gaze Lome gave her before he died. And the brilliant shooting star that she saw moments after he breathed his last. It was beautiful, but it meant only death. 

Just like her. 

She sighed as she stood up from the table and gazed at the stars that night. Her eyes automatically looked out for ominous signs, but all she could see were the constellations.

_"Gemini, Pisces, Andromeda, Perseus…" _Elenath traced out the stars with her finger. Then, she noticed something. 

_'Gemini…' _Elenath thought there was something funny with the 'twins' tonight. It was as though, they are split into two tonight. 

Her eyes stared hard at the constellation. In a flash, she saw two figures. Two familiar faces, but one of them was wearing a cunning smile, an evil smile. The image faded as quickly as it appeared, but Elenath caught the picture clearly. It was then she finally realized what had happened between Ethuil and Aduial. 

_'If it was true… then he would be looking for…'_ Elenath considered. Her eyes widened as her mind finished the sentence for her. 

_'Legolas!'_


	8. Author's Note

Hi everyone! Sorry this is not a real chapter for any of my three stories. Sorry for making you guys happy for nothing. Actually, this is just an author's note to inform you guys something… (and also to make sure you guys don't forget me… =P… just kidding!!!!) 

About _An Elven Story_: the new chapter should be out soon, though I cannot give you an exact date. (why? Because I myself am not sure when it would be ready.) here's just a small preview for next chapter: (don't belittle this preview! It is going to tell you a lot about Ethuil and Aduial!! ^^V)

_Every few millenniums, the thirteen great galaxies of the universe would gather in a straight line. When that happens, a female being bearing two different types of blood would be born with a special gift at astrology…This gift allows her to see the past, present and future of anyone she knows, but the gift needs to be maintained by sacrificing the blood of others. A thousand other beings bearing the same type of blood as the astrologer…It was only then, can the astrologer live her life as a normal being…   _

_When the twin Gemini splits, it was said that something would happen to someone near the legendary astrologer. There would be not one but two identical copies of a random being. However, the personalities of the two 'split' beings would be laterally inverted, and the 'evil' twin would possess powers beyond the belief of anyone. It would have the strength not only to destroy its actual twin, but also everyone within its vision. No one, except an astrologer, can ever distinguish the difference between the two twins. Even so, she can never defeat the twin, for a life is needed for another to be taken… _

About _Harry Potter and the Return of the Dark Lord_: Oops… this will taken even longer, because… erm… it's hard for me to 'tackle' three stories at the same time. =P and for HP, I'm hoping to accomplish at least six pages per chapter. So please wait patiently for it! ^_^ (here's a small spoiler!!!)

_Julian knew that the love between him and Alex would never bloom, for she was bounded by a dark past. Yet he was willing to sacrifice anything for this woman he loved. Would that include… his life? _

_Harry knew he was infatuated by Alex's perfect charms and looks since the beginning of the year. Now, as he looked at his unconscious friend, Cho, in the hospital, he began to rethink his heart's desires. Does his heart belongs to Alex… or Cho? _

_Alex recovered from her injuries, only to realize that her heart had started to feel more alive, and more… human. For many years now, she had been freezing her heart, hoping not to fall in love with anyone. But after that kiss with Julian, she couldn't help but desire the warmth and love of another. Yet she cannot give her heart away. But before she could help herself, she found herself falling in love… with the last person she should. _

_A love triangle involving Julian, Harry and Alex. It would be a chapter involving views from all three characters… find out more about the relationship between Julian and Alex, and perhaps her mysterious past…_

About _X-men 3: The New Generation_: the next chapter would come probably after the two stories above. So sorry for those who liked it!!! ^_^;;; I'll try my best to squeeze out all three, ya? Here's a slight preview though.

_Xavier's School for the Gifted has a new student! When the new telekinetic girl enters into the new mansion, find out about her reactions to the overwhelming friendliness, and the cute guy that seemed to be able to turn anything into ice! Soon, the young girl found herself falling in love with this "Iceman"… _


	9. Evil Twin

Evil Twin

_Every few millenniums, the thirteen great galaxies of the universe would gather in a straight line. When that happens, a female being bearing two different types of blood would be born with a special gift at astrology…This gift allows her to see the past, present and future of anyone she knows, but the gift needs to be maintained by sacrificing the blood of others. A thousand other beings bearing the same type of blood as the astrologer…It was only then, can the astrologer live her life as a normal being…   _

_When the twin Gemini splits, it was said that something would happen to someone near the legendary astrologer. There would be not one but two identical copies of a random being. However, the personalities of the two 'split' beings would be laterally inverted, and the 'evil' twin would possess powers beyond the belief of anyone. It would have the strength not only to destroy its actual twin, but also everyone within its vision. No one, except an astrologer, can ever distinguish the difference between the two twins. Even so, she can never defeat the twin, for a life is needed for another to be taken…_

_*          *          *_

Elenath bit her lips, cursing the length of the dress she wore. If she had her warrior garb on, she would have been running much faster than she is now. 

_'Come on, Legolas, where are you?' _Elenath bit her lips. If what she had seen from Gemini was true, then, the first person it will go after would be Legolas!

_"**Shinari, ori tashe jurien tes Legolas, shinari**,_ (please, don't bring harm to Legolas, please.)_" _Elenath started speaking in a different language. Then, she stopped running "**_Horisahesae karinei kiolistae Circinus tesah, shinari yorish nae neirie shinkaire …_**(Power from southern constellation, the Circinus please aid in my search.)****" 

In the sky above, away from anyone's vision, six stars positioned in a needle-like shape shone brightly in the southern part of the sky. Elenath closed her eyes and stood very still. 

When she opened her eyes again, a deep blue shade replaced her blue-green irises. Her new eyes now glittered and sparkled with the brilliance of stars against a night sky. It was as though one could see a star-strewn sky from her eyes. 

_"Legolas… please… be safe,"_ Elenath muttered beneath her breath. _"Please."_

_Please…_

*          *          *

Legolas rubbed his temples gently as he sat next to his friend. Aduial laid motionlessly on bed with his cheeks deprived of any humane colour. It had been almost four hours since Aduial had fainted, and for four hours, Legolas had not left his side. 

The familiar feeling of worry and concern rose up within Legolas' heart. For as long as he could remember, he had been the best of friends with Aduial. They knew each other so well that sometimes, they did not need to talk to convey messages. The friendship between them was something that they both treasure and cherish deeply, and the depth of their friendship was famed throughout Mirkwood. Especially so when Legolas took an arrow that was meant for Aduial. 

_"Aduial… I'm so sorry,"_ Legolas said quietly. Never was he so rash and so reckless before. How could he have done this to his friend? The person who was almost as close to him as his own father and sister? 

_"What for?"_ A soft, weak voice asked. Legolas jumped and looked up. 

_"Aduial! How are you feeling?"_ Legolas asked worriedly. 

Aduial managed a faint smile on his pastel face. _"Wonderful."_

A rare, awkward silence fell between them. It was Aduial who broke the silence a few minutes later. 

_"How's Ethuil?"_

_"She's recovering…" _Legolas started. His voice trailed off. An overwhelming sense of guilt hung over the prince's head as he looked away from Aduial's concerned gaze. For the first time in their whole life, the two friends could not speak to each other without a pause. 

_"Legolas…"_ Aduial called softly. _"I'm not blaming you."_

Legolas felt nothing but more guilt on him. His friend's readiness at forgiving did not nothing to ease the pain and shame he felt. He tried to speak, to reply Aduial, but his tongue failed him. 

_"Legolas? Are you alright?"_ Aduial asked quietly. His deep grey eyes shone weakly in concern. 

That was the last straw that broke Legolas' dam. At the sound of his friend's forgiving and concerned, yet weak voice, Legolas felt tears stinging his eyes and trickling down his cheeks like a furious waterfall. 

_"Legolas!"_ Aduial was alarmed. For as long as he could remember, he had not seen Legolas shed a single tear, even when young. 

_"I'm sorry,"_ Legolas apologized in a low voice. _"I'm really, really sorry."_

Aduial did not know what to say to comfort his friend. He knew Legolas must have been under a great deal of pressure to break down completely like so. Of the three of them, Legolas had always been the strongest and the leader, but Aduial knew that beneath the brave front of a leader and warrior Legolas wore on his face, was a gentle nature that could hold only a limited amount of pressure. 

Legolas seemed to feel embarrassed to cry in front of his friend and looked away, trying to wipe the tears away from his cheeks. Aduial lifted his upper body up with his left elbow and patted Legolas' shoulder with his right hand. 

_"There's nothing to be sorry about between friends,"_ Aduial said, repeating what Legolas said when _he_ was the one lying in bed. 

When Legolas had successfully wiped all traces of tears away, he turned and smiled at Aduial. Without another word, he embraced Aduial tightly. The latter was stunned at the sudden affectionate gesture, but he embraced Legolas back, the same way they had before Legolas left for the Council of Elrond. 

_"Friends forever,"_ Aduial whispered. He could not see Legolas' face, but he knew Legolas was smiling. That was how close they were.

_"Forever."_

*          *          *

It smiled slyly as a crimson coloured tongue licked the shiny, elven blade. In just a few minutes time, it would be tasting the finest blood available in Mirkwood. Pure, uncontaminated royal blood. A shiver of excitement and thrill ran up his skin. 

Against the polished blade, it smiled at its new face. For millenniums now, it had been changing its face as it followed Elenath traveling around Middle Earth, and at the same time, using its voice to control her blade and the blood she spilt. Even though Elenath was an expert at astrology, she could never guess that the voice she trusted wholeheartedly was actually the famed 'evil twin' of the Gemini legend. 

The Gemini legend was a tale known only to the finest astrologers. But there was one thing wrong about the legend. It never changes its face to someone Elenath knew only when the constellation splits. Each time Elenath meets new friends, it will always be close to her, and at the same time choosing a new face for itself. It was always with Elenath, and always changing its face to someone around her. Each time it does so, opportunities appear to allow Elenath to kill her target, making her the murderer she was. Yet it was also the owner of the voice which Elenath receives orders from. 

How ironic.

Through its reflection in the blade, its red eyes caught sight of a blond-hair elf. _'Finally…'_

Time… for food…

 *         *          *

Legolas closed the door behind him quietly. After experiencing consecutive different emotions in less than an hour, he felt as though his heart had thinned and weakened. Slowly, he walked in the direction of Ethuil's room. His eyes felt so heavy, it was as though they were lined with a whole tree. His feet seemed to be half rooted on the marble floor, but however heavy his body may felt, Legolas knew it was irrational to fall asleep in the corridor. After all, he _is_ the prince of Mirkwood. 

So cloudy was his mind he did not even notice the people walking on the corridor. He only knew he had nodded to the servants when they greeted him. It was almost a reflex action. When his blurred vision came into sight of his sister's room, his feet almost collapsed beneath him. 

_"Legolas!"_ A female voice cried. Legolas looked up and saw a flash of running blur. The next thing he knew, he felt a cold material run down his back, tearing his flesh as it went…

*          *          *

Hihi! Wow… it's been a long time since I updated, ya? ^-^ sorry about it. I'm really, really busy these days to do any typing. (Working now… ^^) But I promise I'll try to make one at least a month, k? 

Oh! Ya… the language Elenath used is not an actual language. It's just something I made up while writing… ^^ Hope you guys like it!

Androme

Next Chapter's preview: (A section specially created to ease your urge… ^^)

_Elenath first appeared as wearing a warrior's garb. Was she any good in actual combat? Would you like to see Elenath fighting for the first time ever in An Elven Story? _

Be prepared for major fighting scenes in the next chapter of An Elven Story!!!!

^_^


	10. Female Warrior

Female Warrior

Elenath felt her heart skipped a beat as Aduial's blade slashed down Legolas' back as though it was nothing but thin cloth. 

_"Legolas! No!"_ Elenath screamed. Her eyes followed Legolas' figure as he collapsed limply onto the ground like a deflated balloon. Dark, crimson red blood had soaked his pale green top a dark, gruesome colour, while more were oozing out slowly from Legolas' wound, forming a dark ominous pool on the ground. 

Aduial smiled and stood in front of Legolas, stopping Elenath from getting to her. He raised his blade and licked the dripping blood off the weapon. As the blood traveled down his mouth, his ruby eyes sparkled even more darkly and dangerously.

Watching her friend fallen, Elenath felt a rising anger within her. It was a feeling that was long forgotten. It was a feeling she had not felt for a very long time. It was a dangerous feeling, as well as a great feeling.

_"Are you ready?"_ Elenath asked calmly. With a flick of her wrist, a sheathed dagger appeared on her palm. Her opponent cocked an eyebrow. 

_"Are you going to defeat me with that?"_ he asked mockingly. 

Elenath smiled in reply. It was a sweet, heart-capturing smile except for the chilly gaze from her eyes, which was more than enough to freeze boiling water. _"To defeat someone like you, I need no weapon." _She unsheathed the dagger and held it at her dress. As she pushed the dagger downwards, Elenath made a long split in her dress from between her legs to the floor. The dress instantly became trousers-like. 

_"It's just to make my life easier, but yours harder,"_ Elenath continued, putting the dagger back into its sheath. As the dagger clicked into a secure position, Elenath swept her hair into a neat bun. With one quick movement, she secured the bun with the dagger. 

Aduial snorted. _"I would love to see you try to make my life hard."_

_"With pleasure,"_ Elenath said, clenching her fists. Her knees lowered slightly as she gathered momentum and strength. Her opponent swirled his weapon about his wrist before holding it tightly. 

The two opponents stood very still, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Elenath narrowed her dark blue eyes and stared straight into Aduial's. Silence fell thickly between the two warriors and tension weighed heavily on both their shoulders. 

Elenath knew she does not have much time. With each passing second, Legolas' life fades. She do not want him to die. Not like this.

_'Legolas… please, wait for me,'_ Elenath thought, glancing at Legolas. _'Do not fade yet…'_

_"Ready to feed my blade?"_ Aduial asked, his eyes ablaze with excitement.

Elenath replied plainly. _"Ready to be defeated?"_

Time passed slowly between the two opponents. It was as though the pressure of the atmosphere had the ability to control the movement of time. 

Then, Elenath struck.

With her dress now reduced to two, Elenath can now move with ease and agility. Her leaping jump over Aduial rewarded her with a landing behind him, and away from his blade. Taking the opportunity as Aduial turns around, Elenath ducked and hooked his left leg with hers. Then, with a quick push on his right leg, Aduial ended up splitting on the ground. 

With a snarl, Aduial swung his sword towards Elenath's neck. The latter, as though knowing ahead what Aduial was planning to do, she did a quick cartwheel and her toes knocked the weapon off his grip. The blade spun in air and landed in Elenath's grip. 

Aduial was furious with humiliation. As he picked himself up, Elenath threw him his sword and got into her attacking stance. 

_"That was just a demonstration,"_ Elenath said calmly. _"Do not belittle me."_

Aduial picked up his sword and his grip tightened around it. With a look of pure venom on his face, he raised his sword again. 

_"I give you two choices. You can leave and never come back, or you can fight me and be defeated,"_ Elenath said coldly. 

Aduial snorted again. _"I'll stay and fight. Only to see who would be defeated at the end of the day."_

_"Very well,"_ Elenath replied. As soon as she finished her sentence, she attacked again. 

*          *          *

Legolas never felt so tired before in his life. The last thing he wants when he can finally get some rest was someone banging on the kitchen pots beside him. However the incessant noise would not cease. Instead it got louder. 

_'Keep quiet,'_ Legolas thought sleepily. He struggled to open his eyes, but for some reason, they would not budge. He remained trapped in a stage between unconsciousness and consciousness. Not that he minds. How he longed to sleep on. How he longed to stay in the comfortable darkness for all eternity. 

For all eternity…

*          *          *

After half an hour, it realized that it had all along underestimated Elenath and her skills on the battlefield. Even when unarmed, she could still remain unscathed against fighting an armed opponent. As a matter of fact, it was the one accepting all of Elenath's heavy punches and kicks. 

His train of thoughts was interrupted by a fist heading for his face, which he avoided just in the nick of time. Yet, without skipping a beat, Elenath pivoted around the point and elbowed it in the stomach. 

_'Ah!'_

As air rushed past his mouth upon impact, darkness flashed past its eyes. Next he knew, he was falling on the ground. 

Elenath, taking the opportunity, grabbed its arm and threw it over her shoulders. 

A rush of pain numbed all his cells when it came into contact with the marble floor. Slowly, the numb feeling overtook its arms… its torso… its eyes…

Elenath glared unfeelingly at the partially conscious creature. With an equally cold voice, she said quietly. 

_"You chose a wrong time to fight with me."_

The creature used all of his remaining strength and forced his eyes to look upwards. There, against the dark sky, was a dizzying array of diamond-like stars. Now he knew the reason behind Elenath's otherworldly strength.

_"I sure did…"_ it replied sleepily. 

Time… time was all it needed.

*          *          *

Elenath did not know what to do with Legolas' wound. Given her knowledge of medicine, this wound was beyond her abilities. And she doubt… even Elrond's. 

Her eyes traveled along with the inch deep wound that stretched from Legolas' right shoulder blade to his left side. Large amount of blood had caked around the wound, reducing the blood flow as much as possible, however, Elenath doubted it would be enough of an effort. 

_'Legolas… No…'_ Elenath closed her eyes, trying to hold back the hot sting of tears in her eyes. Her hand subconsciously slipped into his and tightened around the chilled skin. 

_"Legolas… please…"_

_*          *          *_

Legolas saw the light. It was getting brighter and brighter, but what was that crippling pain he felt? Did he step on a nail? No… the pain was coming from his back. 

_'Why am I feeling so sleepy?'_ Legolas asked himself, or rather, the growing ball of light. 

He felt a warm hand around his. The hand, for some reason, felt as though it was meant to be there. It fitted so perfectly into the shape of his palm, that he was amazed. As the warm hand tightened around him, the ball of light grew larger and even brighter, if it was possible. 

_'Another good nap… disturbed…'_ Legolas thought grudgingly. Can't a prince get a good sleep anywhere? 

Despite feeling absolutely drained, and not to mention, agonized, he made an effort to close his fingers around the warm hand.

The next he knew, was light shining in his face.

*          *          *

When Legolas opened his eyes, Elenath was shocked. For she knew it was medically impossible for anyone to regain conscious after losing so much blood. 

_"Legolas?"_ Elenath looked down at their held hands, and saw Legolas' chilly fingers barely closing around hers. 

He wanted to talk, but he couldn't muster the strength to. Instead, his eyes softened at the sight of her, and his lips twitched slightly upwards. 

_I'm fine…Are you?_

Even without words, Elenath could understand what he was thinking. This needed no astrology or astronomy. 

But she also realized something even worse as well.

_'He did not know he was going to die.'_

_"I'm sorry…"_ Elenath said softly. Even though it was a miracle that Legolas had awoken, his passing was inevitable. What hurt Elenath most was the unknowing innocence in Legolas' eyes. 

_"So am I!" _Another voice spoke up. Elenath looked up and saw a bloodstained blade heading for her. She swept Legolas up with a quick movement of her hand and brought him away from the crazed creature. The least she could do now was to let Legolas go in peace, but not in pieces. 

However, with one hand holding Legolas, the fatality of her attacks was no longer a threat to the creature. 

_'How did he regain his strength so quickly?'_ Elenath wondered, dodging deftly as the blade sliced through where Legolas' head was a moment earlier. 

No doubt she was confident that she could evade all of the creature's attacks, but by doing so, it would only increase Legolas' pain. She needs to get him to a protected spot!

The creature seemed to understand what Elenath was thinking, and attacked her from all sides, denying her any passage to a safe spot. The blade soon was able to touch the hems of Elenath's sleeves. Slowly to the sleeve itself…

Elenath bit back a gasp in pain as the blade finally made its mark across her free arm. Hot searing pain erupted like fire across her right side and slowed down her movements. The wound began bleeding profusely, much to Elenath's dismay.

The creature then directed all its attacks to the elven prince. It seemed as though he was bent on making sure Legolas died in more than one piece. 

The tip grazed past Legolas' chest just as Elenath pulled him away from the blindly maneuvered blade. Holding him tightly lest he falls to the ground, Elenath looked for a place of sanctuary. Desperation was slowly reducing her choices to nothing. 

In a final bid, Elenath suddenly let go of Legolas, allowing him to drop limply onto the ground. At the same time, she raised her wounded hand to stop the creature's blade from cutting through her neck. Without hesitation, Elenath used the same hand and twisted the creature's hand, thus loosening the grip on the blade. As the blade began to fall, Elenath kicked it high above them. Then, she pulled the creature's arm mercilessly, dislocating its shoulder and slamming him onto the ground. 

The blade landed squarely in Elenath's hands. Before the creature could move, she held the tip against its throat. 

_"Leave!"_ Elenath commanded. 

The creature started laughing. The creepy laughs starting bouncing off the walls, echoing eerily about them. 

_"Look behind you,"_ it said, finally using its original, raspy voice, instead of Aduial's. With her heart skipping a beat, Elenath turned around. The moment her vision was on Legolas, a dagger shot out of the creature's uninjured arm and struck Legolas squarely on his side!

_"No!" _Elenath exclaimed. But the dagger did not disappear as she wished it would. Blood began dripping off Legolas' side, and one could hear faint gasping sounds from him. 

_"NO!"_ Elenath screamed and crushed the hilt. As the hilt splintered into tiny pieces, the elven blade, too, instantly shattered into pieces, as though made of fine glass. With the atmosphere around her sizzling with a murderous aura, Elenath pulled the creature to its feet and punched him in his ribcage. 

The creature yelled in pain as its ribcage shattered, just like the sword, upon impact. Without any more strength to retaliate, the creature allowed Elenath to plant more punches onto his body. In any case, he is immortal, and would never die that easily. All his injuries would heal by itself again once he drink more blood. 

With her anger taking the better of her, Elenath lifted the creature up and threw him out of the window. That was something that creature had expected, and as soon as it was out the window, it swung from a random window and landed in the trees of Mirkwood. 

_'Wonderful… Now… I know what to do…'_

Elenath panted heavily and collapsed onto the ground once she vented all her murderous feelings. Without any regard of her arm wound, she rushed to Legolas' side, hoping against hope that miracle would once again happen. 

She gently laid Legolas against her body and removed the dagger. There was no more bleeding. 

_"No… Legolas… No!"_

Her fingers stroked the cheeks of the elven prince, hoping he would wake upon her touch. But as her skin touched the iciness of his face, her heart seemed to have sank to the depths of the world. 

_"Legolas… Please… wake up!"_ Elenath choked, burying her head in his soft blond locks. It was the first time she was this close to him, but she did not want it to be the last. 

_"Please…"_ Elenath's pleas began fading as the cruel truth began to knife into her heart. 

Legolas is dead…

*          *          *

Hello everyone! Happy to see this chapter? Or have you started to sharpen those knives of yours after you finished the chapter? ^^;;; I do hope the fighting scenes are up to everyone's standard, mainly because this is my first time plotting a LOTR fighting scenes. Usually I plot scenes for Chinese Martial Arts (CMA) stories. So… you can see some essence of CMA in this scenes… did it sucked? Is it good? Please leave comments!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!! 

And one more thing! You can stop sharpening those knives/blades/arrows/daggers/parangs of yours. Whether or not you want to kill me, you can decide when the next chapter is out, ya? _^

Preview for next chapter:

_Go back into Legolas' teenage years and experience the life of a young elven prince. What are teenage years without sword trainings, archery lessons, cheeky tricks, good friends and… first love? _

_A few thousand years ago, the oldest granddaughter of Lady Galadriel,* elder sister of the Evenstar, Arwen, visited the forests of Mirkwood, and made long-lasting friends there before leaving for the Undying Lands, Valinor. What will happen when she returns to look for old friends… and her first crush?_

**Wanna know more about Legolas' past? Then stay around for _An Elven Story_'s chapter 9: First Love

Androme (Does it sound like a TV ad? =P)

*Purely fictional and not any of Tolkein's creations. 

**Purely fictional and not based on any of Tolkein's works! So… please don't mind… But if you guys really don't want to see my own fictional version of Legolas' past, you can just tell me, and I'll change the story plot… ^^


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